


Chiaki Nanami's IF

by SHSL_ex_SOLDIER



Series: SIDE: HOPE [5]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: F/M, i just want her to be happy and ALIVE, i'm not crying you're crying, let her live au, she died for our sins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-20
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-08-23 13:22:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8329465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SHSL_ex_SOLDIER/pseuds/SHSL_ex_SOLDIER
Summary: What IF Nanami had lived?A mini-series that we all deserve to heal our broken hearts.1-5) What IF Kamukura had saved Nanami?EXTRA IFs6) Despair IF: What IF Nanami lived but fell into despair?7) 13th branch head IF: What IF Nanami lived but lost her memories?8) Unexpected IF: What IF Kamukura prevented her death in the first place?9) AI IF: What IF they restored AI Chiaki's data?10) Robot IF: What IF they implanted AI Chiaki into a robot body?11) Ultimate IF: What IF both real Nanami and AI Chiaki were alive?12) EXTRA: In Another Life





	1. It's Not Yet Game Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What IF Kamukura had saved Nanami?

This was the end for Nanami.

In the end, she couldn't do anything at all. It was impossible for her to win an unbeatable game and yet even so she still hoped against all odds. Even now with her broken body, her spirit wasn't shattered at all. She was still holding on to hope. Not just hope for her but for her classmates.

"Everyone..." She started as memories of the all the cherished persons in her life flashed behind her eyes. Her vision blurred as she called out her feelings for them. "I love you all..."

Tears flowed from her eyes and mixed with the blood on her face.

"I..." She cried with all her heart, with all that's left of her life. "I don't want... to die."

But she was dying.

"I wanted to stay..." She yearned with desperation as she remembered all of their memories together. "with my classmates...!"

But she's separated with them.

"I wanted to play games again..." She cried harder. And her voice was now barely above a whisper, her throat was raw and her lungs were giving out. "with Hinata..."

But Hinata wasn't himself anymore.

She tried to reach out to him with the last of her strength. "We could've played games again..."

She reached out.

Only to have a warmth envelope her hand.

"...Perhaps, we still could." Kamukura replied with an unreadable face and emotionless tone.

Her vision was already fading but she wanted to hold on to the hand holding on to her. "Hinata...?"

"...No, I'm no longer Hinata." He answered cryptically. "But it is precisely because I am no longer my former self that I can save you."

"You can... save me?" She breathed out.

"Yes, I can." He paused as she felt his grip tighten slightly. "And I will."

The warmth of his hand was a nice contrast to her cold body and it took all of her willpower to stay conscious. But she wasn't afraid anymore. She wasn't alone anymore. And she believed in him.

His hand was still holding on to her just as she was holding on to hope.

"I... knew it." She smiled, this time there was no fear or desperation marring it. Her smile was one full of trust and hope. "If it's you... you can do anything."

Before Nanami blacked out, the last thing she saw was Kamukura's face and how he was crying just as much as she was.

This wasn't the end for Nanami not when Kamukura just gave her an extra life.


	2. Extra Life

_"Just one more time..."_

Eyes still heavy with sleep and exhaustion, slowly they opened and brightness filled her vision.

Vision. In the person's disoriented state, it barely registered to her that they had regained their sense of sight. Regrettably though, she had to shut her eyes as soon as they had opened them for it was far too bright for her to handle.

"You're awake." She heard a voice that wasn't hers.

Hearing. When was the last time she had heard anything? Her mind was still foggy as they tried to recall the memory and failed. For some reason she could only recall a dull ringing and even that sounded like it was from inside her head. That was strange. Even stranger was the voice she heard. It was a familiar voice. The kind of familiarity that she recalled both in fondness and in melancholy. She could feel a certain tightness in her chest and how her heart hurt. She was filled with sadness and pain.

 _Pain._ Pain is a sign that you are alive.

She blindly reached out a hand on instinct. It proved to be much harder than she thought. Her arm weighed like lead and in her weakened state, she could barely even lift it up an inch. It felt more like a detached baggage rather than a part of her as she tried and failed to reach forward. She doesn't even know what she's reaching out for but she hopes that it's there. She knew it was there. It has be there. She reached out again, this time with all of her strength.

Until a warm and familiar feeling enveloped her hand.

Touch. She's just remembering that she had that sensation too. She wanted to explore more of this warmth. And so she opened her eyes again slowly, tentatively, carefully, and to her surprise, it wasn't as bright as before. Someone had blocked out the harsh light and their pair of glowing red eyes stared back at her.

And all at once the memories flooded her.

She remembered those eyes. She remembered what they used to look like. She remembered who they belonged to. And she remembered the last time she saw them was when her vision was black and blurred around the edges.

_She remembered that she had died._

She remembered everything that had led up to her death. She remembered how they were trying to save their teacher but then she was betrayed by her. She remembered how she struggled and pushed forward in a maze that was built for pain. She remembered how she opened the door to the supposed exit but it was only a false hope and a true exit to life. She remembered how she was dying and still trying to talk to Kamukura.

She remembered how much she had wanted to live.

And miraculously, here she was. _Alive._

"Thank you... for saving me." Her voice came out raspy and barely comprehensible but she hoped that her words reached him.

"..." He stared at her for a few seconds, his expression unreadable as he spoke, "Aren't you going to ask me why?"

He gently shook her head but only a little since even the slightest movements apparently caused her to have a migraine. Her words were slow too as her mouth was just figuring out how to speak again. "No... It's not like you need a reason to save someone but..." She paused and then gave his hand a light squeeze. "It looks like you're the one who wants to ask why."

"..." Maybe she had imagined it but for a moment, she thought she saw his eyes widen by the slightest fraction. Maybe she did imagine it because in the next moment, his face was completely stoic and his voice was even. "Don't thank me just yet. There are things that I'll do that you won't approve of." He said while he let go of his hand, aware that it had lingered for a moment.

She watched him walk away and towards the door. Her chest tightened at the sight. He was leaving her. Again. He was going somewhere far away, somewhere unreachable for her, somewhere without her and suddenly she had found her voice to be much louder than she thought possible in her current state. "Are you... going already?"

Kamukura turned around and lingered at the door. He held her gaze for a full minute, the tension thick, until finally he said, "We will meet again... probably."

And that was enough for Nanami. "I'm sure we will." Even in her weakened state, she was still able to smile. It was a smile pulled off with tremendous effort and exhaustion but it was nonetheless bright. "I'll definitely be waiting for you. Just like always."

"...See you later." Kamukura didn't know where the words came from but they just came out almost naturally.

But those words had a powerful effect on Nanami as she felt all of her strength return to her. She saw him off with a smile that was now dazzling and cheerful and just full of hope. "See you later!"

 _One more time._ She'll definitely play games with everyone together one more time.


	3. Healing

Nanami was slowly but surely recovering.

She had been on the brink of death or rather, she was dead until she had been brought back to life by Kamukura. That was the crucial point. Everything after that wasn't as essential. She would recover naturally even without supervision because of how properly prepared her set up was. There was no need for a helper at all even if there was an emergency.

So why was Kamukura still here?

He had provided her with everything she needed so she could handle all of it on her own and yet here he was, needlessly assisting her. If you could call this assistance.

"There! All done!" Nanami huffed proudly.

"What's the point of this?" Kamukura deadpanned. "What do you hope to gain from this?"

"Hm..." She pondered on his question for a bit as she tilted her head. "When you put it that way, you make it sound like everything has to have a reason."

"A logical reason." He corrected her.

"But if everything was ruled by logic then I don't think that would be a fun world." She explained with carefully chosen words. "I don't think everything can be even explained with logic. And a lot of what we do aren't logical at all."

"Like what you did just now?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Like what I did just now." She affirmed him. "To answer your first question, there's no deep purpose behind this. I just felt like it!" And then she smiled brightly at him. "Besides, I think it looks good on you, don't you think so?"

Kamukura didn't need to look in a mirror to know that Nanami had styled his hair... again. This time she had braided a few thick locks and tucked it in intricately so that it would form a crown. She looked absolutely thrilled over her latest work. He couldn't quite sympathize with her joy but nonetheless, he let her have her fun.

"What I think is irrelevant. Perhaps on certain standards it does suite me but otherwise on others." He commented with a straight face.

"That doesn't sound right to me." Nanami objected with a slight frown. "Don't act as if your thoughts don't matter because they do! They matter. You matter!"

He eyed her levelly. He couldn't understand why she was so invested in this and why she was putting in so much effort for him. "Whether they matter or not won't change the fact that this is boring to me." He paused and then asked her with a flat tone, "And... what do you think you're doing?"

"Hm?" Nanami was playing with his her again. "Oh, I just thought you might like it better if I did a different kind of braid."

"That's not what I meant." He objected stoically. "I already told you before that this is pointless. I plan to have my memories of you erased after."

A pregnant pause passed between them.

"I know..." She said quietly as her fingers tenderly brushed through his thick hair. "I know." She repeated with more sorrow. Her smile had lost its luster. "It kind of hurts that you want to forget about me again." He felt her lightly tug at his hair. "But you have your reasons, right? Even if you don't tell me, I'm sure they're good reasons."

"I'm not as good as you think I am and I'm not the person who I used to be." He clarified. He didn't know what he hoped to achieve by saying this but he also knew that a small part of him didn't want her to get her hopes up for reasons that still alluded him.

"I know and understand that, Kamukura." She agreed with a morose smile. It was the same smile she'd have whenever she used his name. A melancholic smile that invoked something within him though what he's still uncertain of. However, she sounded more certain than he was. "But you saved me and that has to count for something, right?"

And that's the thing. Kamukura still doesn't understand why he had chosen to save her. It was the most unpredictable thing he has ever done in his entire existence and he has yet to comprehend an analysis of it.

"I've decided to believe in you." She declared with unflinching resolve.

"...A rather poor decision really." He commented levelly. "How illogical of you to come to the conclusion of trusting me. Me who had been an accomplice in orchestrating your demise."

She almost winced when he had said it so heartlessly but that didn't make her waver at all. "Well not everything has to make sense." She pointed out and there was a certain glint in her as she questioned him, "Have you figured out why you're still here?"

Kamukura's eyes widened in surprise. Of all the things she could ask him, he had chosen the one question he had yet to find an aswer to. He opened his mouth but no words came out. "..."

"Thought so." She said with a triumphant smirk. "I know you could leave me anytime but you're still here keeping me company so..." And then her smirk had softened into a smile as she took his hand in hers and said, "Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for staying with me."

Kamukura could not understand why at that moment there was a distant feeling faintly resurfacing from within him. A nostalgic yet forgotten feeling... perhaps, the ghost of a memory.

"Let's make lots of fun memories together, okay?" She smiled brightly at him.

He shook his head as he composed himself and pushed down the foreign feeling. "How meaningless. I'll have them wiped anyways."

"It's okay if you don't remember because I remember." Her smile had a certain tenderness at the corners of her lips as she spoke, her words sounding like a promise, "What we shared together will continue to exist."

Kamukura's other hand instinctively went to his pocket where her hairpin was.

"...We'll see about that." He replied as once again he was reminded of the experiment he was setting up. If her feelings and hope could save them then... that was something he would test later. But for now, he decided to stay here for a little while longer.

In this moment where they both exist. They exist and they're taking it slow. Slowly but surely.


	4. Hidden Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by yuseirra's comic on tumblr!  
> A few of the lines were taken from there with permission. It's a beautiful comic. Please read it after for added feels.

_"What I lived for and fought for will still exist."_

It's not the end just yet.

While it's true that Hinata was able to save his comatosed friends and had even prevented the spread of false hope across the world, there's still this unexplainable sense of incompletion. He felt as if something was missing, something important, something forgotten. He's sure he has restored his memories, those from inside the program and those before he became Kamukura. And yet there was this nagging itch at the back of his mind telling him that he's forgotten something.

His hand instinctively reached out to his pocket and clutched her pin. He had all of Kamukura's talents now so how could something allude him?

_"There's more to life than talent."_

An apologetic smile fell on his lips. Of course he couldn't rely on his talents for everything. He had to figure this one out for himself... and for her. He didn't know where it was coming from but he was overcome with the strong urge to see her. He knew it didn't make sense since she was dead but at the same time, it felt right. He wanted to see her. He wanted her to see him. He wanted them to see each other again. And when they'd meet, he'd tell her of the hope she gave them and of the miracle that was born from it.

He let himself get swept up by all of these emotions that it took him to places. Places that led to other places. Places until he found himself standing in place.

There, right in front of him was Nanami. She looked as cheerful as ever and most importantly, _alive._

This must be a dream. He reasoned to himself. This must be an illusion. He repeated to himself. This must be just a memory. He denied himself. And yet, no matter how many conclusions he came up with, his eyes never dared stray away from her. His gaze was transfixed on her image, on her surreal breathing image.

 _Turn around._ His mind screamed at her even though he knew it was impossible for her to hear his thoughts. He wanted to say something to her. He wanted to step forward and touch her, to confirm if this was indeed real. But just in case this wasn't, he didn't want to take the risk. He didn't want this illusion to end just yet. Even if this was a dream he made up or a memory he just conjured, whatever this was, he wanted this to last longer.

He wanted _her_ to last longer.

He didn't want her to be taken away yet again. That's why no matter how much he wanted to run across and hold her and never let her go, he didn't. He firmly planted his feet on the ground as the words got caught up in his throat. He clutched her hairpin tighter.

Turn around. Please, just turn around. _Please._

As if she had heard his pleas, she did turn around.

And all of a sudden, Hinata remembered just how much he had missed her smile.

"Hinata!" She yelled as her face instantly broke int a grin and then she broke into a run until she had tackled him into a heartfelt embrace. "You came back!"

It's only then that he was able to confirm just how soft and warm and alive and real this Nanami was. This was no dream or memory or illusion. This was _real._

This was the real Nanami and she was very much alive.

He didn't even bother to hold back his tears as he returned her embrace. And as he held her, he relished in the fact that this was happening. He's more than grateful to hold onto her than just her hairpin.

"I've been waiting for a while now." She mumbled against his shoulder. "But I know you'd come back for me. I always believed in you."

"Yes, you always did." He agreed softly. She believed in him more than he deserved to. He nuzzled against her hair as he confessed, "I missed you..."

Her smile could be heard in her voice. "I missed you and everyone too." She pulled back a bit but not too far since bothe were still reluctant to let go just yet. "It looks like a lot of things happened while I was gone. Do you mind sharing?"

He shook his head and smiled. "Not at all. It's a long story thought."

"Longer than the longest running game series?" She asked innocently.

He chuckled. "Maybe. Maybe not that long. But I can confirm for a fact that this is definitely more interesting than those."

So they found a more comfortable place to sit, right beside each other, as he told her about everything. He told her about the Hope Cultivation Plan and what he had hoped to gain from it. He told her about what happened in the New World Program and all the hope fragments born from it. He told her about the Future Foundation and how Ryota had chosen their hope and joined them. Nanami listened raptly and absorbed everything. She only interrupted him whenever she'd ask if a person was okay. He noted how she hasn't changed at all. It was just like her to worry over others.

And then it was her turn to tell him of her stories. She told him of how she had waited for him every day when he disappeared. She told him of how he, Kamukura, had saved her back then. She told him of what she'd been doing all this time while waiting. And after they had caught up to the recent events, it's only then that they started to actually talk to each other.

"Thank you for saving everyone." Nanami started with her voice overflowing with gratitude. "I knew you could do it, Hinata."

"It's just like you said." He smiled softly as he repeated the words etched in his heart. "I can do anything if it's me. If I just try hard enough, everything will turn out okay."

"And it did. You were able to create a miracle." She agreed with him and then her gaze was set on the horizon as she continued, "Thank you for realizing my hope. Even back then, when all your memories and emotions were erased... although it didn't seem like it, you were actually listening." She looked back at him with a bright expression on her face. "You were there all along."

"Well... I wasn't completely there. Just a small part of me." He admitted as he recalled those memories in Kamukura's filtered vision. "To be honest, I'm not even sure how it survived the memory wipe."

"I'm sure that a part of you stayed because you wanted to." She said more confidently than him.

"Maybe you're right..." He chuckled when he remembered why he had wanted talent so badly. "You know, I was really looking forward to making you proud of what I would become... but I guess I just messed up."

"But I am proud of you!" Nanami corrected him with all of her earnesty and had even leaned towards him in her emphasis. "A lot of things happened but that's what has helped us to become who we are now..." She paused as if to let him absorb her words and all the while she held his gaze, her eyes full of determination as she exclaimed, "And right now, I'm so proud of you!"

Hinata had to blink back the tears. In this moment, he felt like all of it had been worth it just to hear her say those words. "Nanami..."

"You changed a lot since we first met... but at the same time, you're still the same as ever!" She smiled brightly, hopefully. "You're still the kind Hinata that I know."

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Now you're just saying that to embarrass me." He chuckled and then his eyes softened as he continued, "Well... none of this would've been possible without you so..." He smiled at her just as brightly as she did at him. "Right back at ya."

She gently shook her head. "Don't take me as a hero or anything. I only did what anyone would have!" She placed a hand over her chest as she proudly said, "It was everyone who saved themselves in reality."

"And it's you who brought us so tightly together to make this happen in the first place." He refuted. "Give yourself some more credit. You're important to everyone, you know." He fondly ruffled her hair and in a softer voice he said, "We all love you."

Just when he thought her smile couldn't get any brighter, it just did.

"Hehe... I feel so happy knowing that I'm loved by so many wonderful people." She said with a precious grin on her face.

He committed her smile into his memory and let it linger for just a few more seconds. Then he slowly stood up and offered her his hand. "It's about time, don't you think?"

"Hm? Time for what?" She asked cluelessly as she took his hand and stood alongside him.

He grinned at her lopsidedly. "I'm sure everyone is waiting for us back at the ship."

"Huh?" Tears rolled down Nanami's cheeks but they only made her smile shine brighter as she shouted excitedly, " Yes! Let's return to everyone and play games together! Lots and lots of games!"

It's not the end just yet. This was only the beginning.

The beginning of a bright and shining future that they would shape as their own. Together.

* * *

 

 **BONUS:**  
Hairclip

Hinata gently ran his fingers through her hair. There was something that had been bothering him for quite a while now and today he was overcome with the urge and confidence to bring it up.

"Nanami... your hairclip." He tentatively started.

"Hm? What's wrong with my hairclip?" She asked innocently as her hand instinctively reached out and tugged on it.

Kamukura had held on to Nanami's hairclip ever since she had died that day. But even when she was brought back to life, he still kept it with him. And currently, it was still in Hinata's possession. But that wasn't the main issue.

"It's just... odd to see you wearing something else than your Gala Omega one." He confessed. It was even stranger that her new hairclip was in the shape of a complete set of hope fragments.

"Oh, this?" She said as she pulled it off and fondly held it between her fingers. A small smile danced on her lips. "Don't you remember? Kamukura gave it to me since mine was missing."

"...Is that so?" Hinata asked and just as soon as he finished his question, a memory flashed in his head. A very embarrassing memory. He blushed furiously.

"Why? Is there something about it?" She asked, again oblivious.

"N-No! Just curious!" He nervously stammered. "It looks good on you!"

"Ah... thank you." She flushed lightly in embarrassment.

He let the conversation about the hairclip end there. He's not sure if his heart could take much more of this as it hammered wildly in his ribs.

Maybe next time, hopefully, when he gathers enough courage again, he'd try asking about it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yuseirra's comic  
> http://yuseirra.tumblr.com/post/151935348702/the-handwriting-is-tiny-sorry-about-that-if


	5. True Ending - A Complete Class Picture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the ending Nanami deserved.

There before them was a ghost... until Hinata gave the ghost a gentle push and confirmed for them that this was no ghost. This person was real and alive.

Chiaki Nanami was alive.

"Nanami? Nanami?! Nanami!!" The whole class rushed towards her with tears in their eyes and hope bursting from their hearts.

Nanami gave them her brightest smile yet as she shouted, "I'm back, everyone!"

And everyone rushed forward to welcome her back.

"Is it really you, Nanami?" Owari cried as she held her tightly in an embrace. "You're soft! You're real! You're alive! Guys, it really is Nanami!" She shouted in joy as she cried harder.

"Yes, it is me." She answered as she gently stroked Owari's hair. "It's good to see you too, Owari."

"Hold back a little or you'll crush her." Nidai reprimanded lightly but his voice broke at the end, he too was crying. "We can't let anything happen to you now that you're back again."

"It's okay. I can handle this much." She giggled as she relished in the feeling of affectionate physical contact. "Thanks for worrying over me though. You're the same as ever, Nidai."

"Welcome back, Nanami!" Sonia cried as she too wrapped her into a tight embrace. "Oh, how we missed you! We missed you so so much!"

"Same." She said as she returned her embrace. "I missed you too, Sonia."

"Hell yeah! Nanami's back!" Souda shouted with a grin despite his tear-stained face. "For reals though, it's good to have you back!"

"It's good to be back." She smiled wider. "It's good to see you're still so energetic, Souda."

"It would seem that the gods have finally accepted my rituals and sacrifices." Gundam chuckled as he then proudly showcased his army who were also crying. "Welcome back to the world of the living! You have been blessed by the dark lords!"

"Yes, I guess I really am blessed." She agreed with him. "I'm sure that your rituals have convinced the gods to bring me back, Tanaka."

"This is truly something worth celebrating!" Teruteru didn't even make a green comment because of how emotional he was too. "Quick, tell me all your favorite dishes! I'll cook you all of the food you want to eat right now!"

"I'm not a picky eater. Oh, but if you insist then..." She pondered as she tried to recall a particular dish in mind. Anything tasted better when shared with everyone so maybe something they ate together in the past. "I really missed your meat and potatoes stew, Hanamura. If you would, I'd like to have that please."

"We didn't think we'd get to see you again! Ever! Waaaaah!" Hiyoko sniffled and just cried harder as she hugged Nanami as well. "Don't ever leave us again, okay? Never ever you hear me? Promise me!"

"I don't plan on leaving you either. Never ever." She said in all sincerity. "I promise, Saionji."

"UP UP DOWN DOWN LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT A B START" Ibuki shouted almost mechanically and with all of her energy and then burst into tears. "That is Ibuki's way of saying she missed Nanamemes in gaming language!"

"Ah! A Konami code! That's so cool and sweet of you!" She replied with just as much enthusiasm. "L R R L UP DOWN LEFT RIGHT A B START! I missed you too, Ibuki."

"N-Nanami! I'm s-so sorry for everything! SORRRRYYYYY!!" Mikan wailed as she threw herself in. "B-But I'm also s-super happy that you're back! Thank goodness you're back! I'll do my b-best to make up for w-what I did! P-Please don't ever leave us again! We love you so m-much!"

"It's alright. I forgive you. I was never even mad at you." She said as she tenderly patted her on the head. "Be more gentle on yourself, Mikan. And I'm super happy to be here with you too."

"I know we didn't get to know each other much but..." Mitarai started and smiled weakly. "I'm happy too that you're back. You're so strong to have come back."

"Ah, hello there. Mitarai, right?" She said with her head tilted. "I finally got to meet you! Let's get to know each other more from here on out!"

"Guys, give her some space to breath! She could barely move in there!" Kuzuryuu yelled over them, his face was suspiciously angled in such a way that his working eye was hidden. "Well, I can't blame them since we're still not over you, ya know?"

"I don't mind. This is actually... nice." She admitted with a soft smile. "But thanks for worrying over me. I missed you too, Kuzuryuu."

"You have always remained in our hearts." Pekoyama seconded with a small smile. "We're grateful that you have returned and are now able to remain in our lives as well."

"Thank you for keeping my memory alive all this time." She replied in a tender tone. "I'm happy too that now I get live and make more memories with everyone."

"The class just wasn't the same without you, class rep." Twogami commented as he discreetly wiped off his tears. "The leader role suits you more than it did me. It's good to have you back with us again."

"You're giving me too much credit. You did fine even without me." She said with her face flushed in embarrassment. "But if you would like then I'm okay with keeping the class rep position."

"We can finally have complete class pictures again." Koizumi said as she took another photo despite the tears in her eyes. "I'm going to take lots of your photos to make up for lost time!"

"Yes, I look forward to those photos!" She seconded with a shout. "Give me a copy, Koizumi. I love seeing the smiles on everyone's faces."

"This must be it! A hope brighter than anything I have ever seen! You, Nanami who is our class' hope have returned to us in spite of all the despair we've been through and created an even greater hope!" Komaeda proclaimed with his widest and most heartfelt grin yet. "Look at how bright your hope is and how it's shining over the whole class! You and your hope has united everyone's hopes yet again! This must be the ultimate hope! How truly blessed we are!"

"You look like you're the happiest you've ever been." She said with a chuckle. "Thank you for believing and holding on to hope, Komaeda."

And not too far away, Hinata was smiling at her. "Welcome back, Nanami."

"Thank you for bringing me back, Hinata." She said with a tender smile and then more tears flowed. "Thank you, everyone. For having me back."

And as they celebrated her return, she knew that this was just the beginning of their future. The future they all worked hard together to achieve. A future in which hope and despair are mixed together. A future wherein they are complete and together. A future that they could shape as their own however they want to.

"I lived, fought, and risked my life for this." And although she was crying with them, she was also smiling with them. The hope they had with them all along was shining brighter than ever. A hope that was born from their bonds. And with that hope, they were able to overcome despair. "This is the miracle that we all won together."

"An ending like this... isn't so bad." Hinata remarked softly.

"You've got that wrong." Nanami objected with a small smile. "This isn't an ending. This is just the beginning. The beginning of our bright and shining future!"

A bright and shining future lay ahead of them. It's true. It's absolutely true. She knew it was true every time she saw her friends' faces full of hope. She knew it was true since she's here and with the people she loves. She knew it was true because she believed it to be true. That's what she believed in. And hoped for.

And though the future may be uncertain, she's sure that if they just give it a try, everything will turn out okay. And with everyone doing their best, she knows that tomorrow will be even better.

_"There's no need for you to worry... The only thing beyond this point is a shining future!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this far! I'm sure you all have hopes for Nanami and hopefully this fanfic has answered it to some extent. We can't pretend that she never existed but instead I'm going to be in denial for the rest of my life. 
> 
> This is canon now. Nanami is alive and well and happy and with the rest of the class. :)


	6. The Price of Living

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despair IF: What IF Nanami lived but fell into despair?

_Nanami may have lived on that day but at what cost?_

“I don’t want… to die.”

This was the last thought that gripped her heart as she desperately tried to hold on to life as it quickly slipped through her fingers. And this was also the first thought that came to her mind the moment she opened her eyes.

“I don’t want to die!”

Her mind screamed as her body bolted upright. That was her first mistake as she soon realized just how battered, bruised, and broken her body was. An agonized moan escaped her lips as she felt as though she may have torn open wounds. It’s only then that an epiphany dawned on her as her eyes frantically scanned her body. She expected to see a corpse but instead she saw her body. And although there’s more bandages than skin showing, she knows that it’s hers and that it is still working and alive.

Nanami had miraculously lived.

But her celebration was short-lived as the monitor in her room lit up.

“Good morning, class rep!” A sickeningly sweet voice filled the room and she almost reeled in from the lashback of memories that came with it.

“…You!” She yelled hoarsely, though her throat was dry, she was filled to the brim with unpleasant emotions towards this person.

“Yes, it is I! The Great Enoshima!” She bellowed with pride and then instantly switched to a more nurturing personality. “But we’re not here to talk about me. Let’s talk about you instead. How are you feeling, dearie? Aside from the usual unbearable pain of life that is. Anything I could get you? Water? Games?” She then irritably asked her, “Well if you aren’t going to ask for anything then is it too much for me to ask for some gratitude? Sheesh! You’d think that after saving someone’s life that they’d act all indebted to you, what a hoax!”

Nanami blinked. Something about that last sentence didn’t add up as she asked with trepidation, “You… saved me?”

“Well, DUH!” Enoshima confirmed more forcefully than necessary as she continued to rant, “I mean, who else could have done it? You didn’t see your friends rushing in to save your ass, now did you?”

That had caused her heart to twist uncomfortably as she weakly tried to defend her friends, “I’m sure… they had their reasons.”

If Enoshima had heard her then she most likely didn’t care as she continued without skipping a beat, “And it couldn’t have been your teacher because she’s the bitch who got you into this shitstorm in the first place!”

Another heartache, this time more painful than the last. That betrayal had hurt her even though she knew that it wasn’t her teacher’s fault. “She just wasn’t… thinking right.”

“And let’s not forget your favorite~” Enoshima said in a sing-song tone and the sweetness of her voice just made what she said all the more hard to swallow as a strong bitterness rose in her throat. “Kamukura or ‘Hinata’ as you so fondly call him, obviously didn’t give a shit about you because he just watched the damn thing the whole time.” She loudly barked and complained, “I mean, SHSL Talent and all, I could easily name 10 talents at the top of my mind that could have you know, saved you and stuff.”

And the most painful of heartaches had finally struck her. Why didn’t he save her? He didn’t even try. At that time she wanted to save him more than herself but now that she was alive and able to look back, she now has to face the truth. While she was trying her best, he wasn’t trying at all. And that fact held her heart in a vice grip, tightening ever so slightly with every thought and flashback.

“He’s just…” She started weakly but she couldn’t even finish her sentence.

Nanami was too busy feeling terrible and looking down that she didn’t see the malicious grin on Enoshima’s face. “I’m pretty sure he could have saved you if he wanted to.” She prattled on in a casual tone. “Goes to show how much of a friend he is, huh?”

“…” Nanami wanted to argue. She wanted to tell her how wrong she was and how great of a friend Hinata was. She wanted to object with all her heart. But her strength had long since left her. The words were caught in between her chest and her throat and for some reason, the strength she needed to get them out was just lacking. Enoshima was wrong, Nanami knew that for sure. But she’d protest on another time, when she’s feeling better.

“Helloooo? Did you die halfway through the convo? How rude!” Enoshima whined through the screen.

Nanami shook her head as she composed herself. In the meanwhile, there’s also another thing that was bothering her and oddly enough, the words flow from her mouth easily though with trepidation. She felt as though she might regret asking this but she couldn’t help but still question, “…So why did YOU save me?”

There was a pregnant pause in between.

Enoshima’s smile twisted in the wrong way. “Why indeed?”

She left that question hanging in the air for one whole minute.

And then she clapped her hands. “We’ll save the answer to that question for later. After all, we have loooots of time to talk now.” She said rather cheerfully and even flashed her a peace sign. “Hey, wouldn’t you like to see how your friends are doing?”

Before Nanami could even voice her agreement, the screen had changed. Clips of her friends were being played and under any other circumstance, she would’ve been relieved to see her friends.

But not like this.

It was like a montage full of horror and suffering but that wasn’t the worst part of it. The absolute worst part was that all of these were caused by very same friends whose faces she recognized. They were wreaking havoc across the world and they looked like they were enjoying it. It took all of her strength just not to throw up from some of the images. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing and at the same time, she had a sinking feeling that all of this was true. An ugly truth.

They were her friends and yet they were also SHSL Despair.

“T-This can’t be real.” She murmured in disbelief as the video played on and more horrifying acts were shown. “They would never…” She protested weakly but even that died on her lips as she saw another gruesome scene. “This isn’t…”

And in contrast to Nanami, Enoshima looked like she was enjoying all of this.  "Look, look! After seeing you go through all that, all that hardship and pain, all that fighting and talk about hope, in the end they just chose despair!“ She gloated in her face as she maniacally cackled. “Take a closer look at what you’ve created.” And in a more serious voice, she finished with a tone of finality. “This is what you lived for and fought for.”

This is… _what she lived and fought for?_ This… _despair?_

“I…” No, this was wrong. This wasn’t… This wasn’t what she wanted. This wasn’t what should have happened. They weren’t supposed to turn into despair, they were supposed to not give up and hold on to hope! That’s right… Even though she’s feeling so hopeless right now, she musn’t… lose hope. “I…”

But Nanami also knew from experience that there were just battles that you couldn’t win and that in the end, she couldn’t do anything.

_“I wanted to stay… with my classmates…!”_

She was losing something precious.

_“I wanted to play games again… with Hinata…”_

Something irreplaceable was dying inside of her.

_“We could’ve played games again…”_

It was something important but she can’t seem to remember what it was anymore.

“Everyone…” There were tears in her eyes but more disconcerting was the despair in them. _“I love you all…”_

Nanami may have lived on that day but her hope had already died before her.

* * *

 

**BONUS:**

**Game Master**

“I love games! I want to share this love with everyone!”

Chiaki Nanami despaired.

There’s so many games to play in the world that she couldn’t decide on which one to play first. That’s why she decided not to play any of them. Don’t get her wrong, those pre-existing games are fun and all but it’s not quite the fun she’s looking for. They all seem to lack a certain something to them. If she wanted everyone to see what’s so great about games then they only deserve the best games out there. And right now, there’s nothing out there quite up to match for her love.

That’s why she started making her own games.

Games that weren’t just fun, they were also absolutely despairing. At first she created her very first indie videogame which turned out to be a success. Everyone who downloaded the free-to-play game of the year had despaired within the first playthrough. But that wasn’t enough.

“Games are more fun when played with everyone!”

With some help, she was able to create a multiplayer game with local-play mode and online mode. That way, everyone can join in on the fun. Now this turned out to be better than its predecessor. The game spread like a virus and all of its players were instantly infected with despair. With every new player registered, Nanami couldn’t help but giggle at all the new friends she was making. Everyone was having so much fun! A lot of people also died while playing the game but that’s also part of the fun.

But no matter how much fun she was having, she still felt as though there was something amiss. While it’s true that she liked playing with her newly found friends, she also missed her old friends. “I want to play games with my classmates again.” She sighed.

That’s when an idea hit her. She could play games with them again now. She almost forgot that obvious fact. They’re scattered out there somewhere and all she had to do was to gather them for a round of games. Her heart drummed in excitement. Oh, but what kind of games should they play though? These were with her precious friends so this had to be special.

A special and fun game just for her and her beloved class.

Her hand unconsciously let go of the controller she was holding. That’s right. No ordinary videogame would suffice. It has to be bigger, better, bolder. It has to be something they can all enjoy to the fullest together unlike any of their previous experiences. It has to be more fun than anything she has ever played before. She smiled widely as her eyes sparkled with despair. Yes, the ultimate game filled with ultimate “fun”.

Not long after that, the first high school reunion of Class 77th was held.

“Everyone, I missed you all very much!” Nanami greeted them all with a smile that was slightly more twisted than they remembered. “There’s so much I want to tell you and so much that I want to do with you again now that we’re all gathered here.” She spoke in a soft and innocent voice that contrasted the malicious glint in her eyes. “But I guess what I really want to do first is for us to play a game again just like old times.”

She remembered how she was dying at some point in the past and how her wish was to play games again with everyone. Her lips curled into a grin because her wish was finally coming true. Her so called “hope” was being answered. They were together again and they would play a game. The most awful and most tragic game ever known.

Nanami’s smile was wrong on so many levels. “How about a game of mutual killing?”

This was her most despair-inducing game yet and she’s sure that everyone was going to have so much fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry....


	7. She By Any Other Name is Just as Hopeful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 13th branch head IF: What IF Nanami lived but lost her memories?

Nobody knows the true identity of the thirteenth branch head… not even her.

There are rumors about her origins. Rumors where she’s seen a whole slew of suffering and been through all sorts despair before she joined Future Foundation. Everyone keeps asking her about these rumors and she always answers them in ways that only brings up more questions. It’s not that she doesn’t want anyone to know the truth, it’s just that… that is actually the truth. She’s only being honest in the fact that she truly has no idea and so she can’t provide them with answers.

There’s only one accurate story. The truth is that she was rescued by the Future Foundation and has lost all of her memories before that fateful day. All of it. Even her name. They tried to check the area for any clues to her identity but it was wiped clean of any personal belongings.

_And with no past to hold on to, she quickly latched onto the future._

The Future Foundation brought her in and raised her in a sense. They even gave her a name although she hardly acknowledges it herself. She knows it’s not her true name and she can’t help but feel irrational since she doesn’t want to be called by anything else. It just doesn’t feel right to her. So she goes by an alias instead. Or at least she does now. Ever since she was given the position as the thirteenth branch head, the first thing she did with her newly found authority was to impose that she’d be referred to as “Chief” instead. And so the rumors escalated.

“Good morning, Chief!” A member greets her in the hallway.

“Looking forward to another day, Chief!” Another member cheers at her.

“You’re looking great, Chief!” And another member compliments her.

She’s now in the main office and she smiles wide for her whole team to see. “Let’s all do our best today as well.”

What does the 13th branch actually do? Well their main specialty is information and communication. They handle the network and hotlines of Future Foundation. It’s a desk job basically. Some of her members are here because it’s the safest branch to be in and others are here because of how vital their role is. As for her… she’s only here by chance. She feels more comfortable with technology under he fingertips although she could tell that it’s still not quite the feeling she’s looking for. It’s close but not quite.

Her fingers pause at the keyboard. There it is again. That feeling. It always bothers her whenever she’s at work. As much as it feels natural to have her hands on a laptop, she also feels that it’s lacking. No, perhaps the word is too much. She feels as though she should be holding something smaller but not as small as a phone as she has tested that out before. Her hands twitch as she tries to force the non-existent memories to surface.

The screen fades to black as she pauses too long for the laptop to go on standby.

Her reflection stares back at her. She has this dazed look on her face and even now she still gets surprised by her own reflection. Sometimes she wonders if she actually used to look like this. Her hair is long and it reaches her by the waist and the only reason she’s kept it like this, despite it being bothersome to maintain, is that she thinks that maybe, _hopefully_ , someday someone would recognize her. She likes to think that it’ll help but she also can’t help but think that she’s not supposed to look this way. She feels that her hair should be shorter but she can’t find it in herself to cut it short.

Her hand unconsciously reaches out to the left fringe of her hair… _where something should be_ , she thinks. She’s not so sure.

She sighs ruefully. She got distracted on the job again. “Get your act together. People depend on you, remember? So you have to properly answer their hopes.” She admonishes herself and then quickly returns to her work. “I promised everyone that I’ll do my best. That way we can stay together.” She whispers to herself.

_She thinks that there must be an underlying memory for that but she doesn’t let it distract her this time._

It’s been a year now or was it two? Maybe even three. It’s been a while since she started this new life here at Future Foundation. It’s strange for her to be here and literally live for the future because there’s just no past for her. But that’s okay. Even though she’s lost her memories, she knows that she hasn’t lost everything. She still has her life and that’s already plenty enough to be grateful for. And no matter how hopeless it seems to be for her memories, she doesn’t lose hope. She wants to believe that there will always be hope.

_She’s sure that if she just tries hard enough, she could do anything._

That’s why she always works hard. She makes sure to always give her best no matter what the situation is. She honestly believes that anything is possible.

_Just as much as she is a symbol of hope, she too also hopes._

And then one day… her hopes are answered.

“…Nanami?” A familiar stranger calls her out by a name she hasn’t heard of in a long while.

And she doesn’t know why but she thinks she has finally found the right name.

* * *

**BONUS:  
**

**Remember Me**

“…Nanami?” A familiar stranger calls her out by a name she hasn’t heard of in a long while.

There’s something about this stranger that feels awfully familiar. Her mind buzzes in alarm trying to tell her something, something important, something precious, something forgotten. A memory. In her eyes, his image is fuzzy just like her mind whenever she tries to recall a memory. It isn’t long before the rest of her vision blurs and it’s only then that she reaches out towards her face.

Only to confirm the wetness of tears on her cheeks.

_How strange of her to cry over a stranger._

She lightly wipes her eyes with her sleeves all the while taking note that he is watching her with almost the same weariness as she carries. “Nanami…” The name rolls out of her tongue, testing it. “Who’s that?”

His jaw drops at her words and shock is clearly written on his face. But he recovers quickly, maybe even too quickly, as he composes himself again and offers her a small smile. A smile that for some reason, she thinks it should have been wider. “Nanami is… a precious friend of mine.” He says with a face that’s torn between happy and just about to cry.

 _Nanami…_ the name echoes in her heart.

There’s this unseen connection with the name and she knows it as her heart beats loudly full of life whenever the name is spoken. Nanami. She repeats inside her head again. And again. And again and again. She feels this unexplainable attachment to it. There’s also this irrational fear that if she lets go of it, she’ll lose it forever this time. This time? What does she mean by that? What is with this name and why does she want to keep it so badly?

This name doesn’t bring back any memories but even so, she thinks she’s remembering feelings instead.

“You look…” The stranger pauses and she watches his struggle to find the right words. He looks conflicted over what to say and again, he steadies himself with a small smile that she thinks should be wider. “Confused.” He finally finishes his sentence. And although he says it with certainty, it sounds like it isn’t exactly  what he wanted to say.

“I guess I am.” She honestly admits. The name still bothers her but not in a bad way. It’s a welcome nostalgic feeling. She strangely wants to keep it. But there’s also another name that she needs to know and so she asks, “Who are you though?”

Again he is taken aback but this time he seems prepared for it. With a tempered smile, he introduces himself, “I’m Hinata. It’s nice to meet you.”

 _Hinata?_ That name is also strangely familiar. It’s familiar and different at the same time. It brings out a different kind of feeling when compared to Nanami. She feels hurt. There’s this sudden stab of pain in her heart at the mere mention of it and a part of her feels like she’s about to cry. But more than the pain, more than the bitterness, there’s a more prominent feeling that his name incites. She feels glad and relieved. She’s overjoyed at the sight of him and at the mention of his name and she doesn’t know why.

Her hand unconsciously reaches out towards him.

And he clasps his hand over hers.

A familiar feeling. A feeling she doesn’t remember, she doesn’t know of, but she knows deep in her heart that this is a feeling that she’s longed for.

“Hinata…” She says his name out loud for what feels like the first time but also like the nth time. She doesn’t even hold back when tears start to flow again as she softly spoke, “I feel like we’ve… already met before.” She shook her head.  "No, it’s not just that…“

Finally, as if a light is suddenly switched on, the blurriness inside her head clears as a memory comes to her mind.

_“See you tomorrow!”_

Her hand, no… _Nanami_ ’s hand clenches tightly over his. And her smile, her smile is as bright and hopeful as it should be. “I feel like I’ve been waiting for you for a really REALLY long time.”

And finally, Hinata smiles and this time, she thinks that he’s smiling right as he gives her the widest grin he has ever worn. “It’s good to see you again too.”

There’s still a lot of memories to fill in the blanks of and she knows that not all of them will be good or happy but that’s alright. She wants to properly remember them all and treasure these precious moments. She wants to remember herself but more importantly, she wants to remember all the cherished persons in her life. She wants to reunite with all of her friends and she couldn’t help but feel excited over the prospect of getting to play games with them.

And as she slowly reclaims her past memories, she’ll be sure to make lots of new memories along the way. 

This time she’ll hold on to both the past and the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @yuseirra drew a comic inspired by this! Check it out it's beautiful!  
> http://yuseirra.tumblr.com/post/152818180952/fanart-heavily-inspired-from-and-based-on-this


	8. Secret Ending Unlocked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unexpected IF: What IF Kamukura prevented her death in the first place?

The GOAL was right before her.

Nanami limped forward with what remained of her strength. Her body screamed in agony as pain coursed more than blood in her veins. But she gritted her own screams as she slowly, painfully, but surely made progress. She can’t give up now not when everyone was waiting for her. She still had to see everyone again and tell them that she’s alright. She had the hope that everything will turn out alright.

Just a little bit further and she’d make it through this. She’d make it through and reunite with all her friends. She’d make it through alive.

And as she opened the door to what would be her salvation, she had a vision. She saw a bright and hopeful future where her dear classmates and her beloved teacher was on the other side with open smiles. All of her friends were there and welcoming her back. She smiled as she reached out towards them.

But rather than a hand grasping hers, a spear shot at her instead.

And missed her.

Spikes burst forth from the floor but none of them even touched her.

It happened all too fast for her fading mind to comprehend all too soon but she was aware that she had just narrowly missed death. Had no one intervened, her body would have been pierced through and she would have died a gruesome death. It never registered in her mind that it could have been a trap. She was just so tired from going through the maze, she was just so focused on getting back to safety, she was just so relieved at seeing the faces of her friends– she was just so much of a mixture of feelings that she poured all her strength into willpower and so none was left for logical thoughts.

Rather than an actual goal, she had almost walked in to her ending.

When she reached out towards her vision, someone else had reached out to her first.

“…Hinata?” She knowingly asked even without looking back.

“…” Kamukura stared at her blankly, his hand was still tightly holding on to her hoodie as if he was holding on to her for dear life.

“It’s you… isn’t it, Hinata?” She asked him again but hardly any recognition registered in his eyes. Even so, she couldn’t have been happier to see him again despite the circumstances. “Thank you for saving me.”

Now that she wasn’t alone anymore, she felt as if she didn’t need to do this alone either. She had someone to share this burden with or so she thought. And so her body finally caught up with her actual state as her knees gave out. She slumped on the floor, her breaths forced and ragged. But even so, her heart was still pumping. She was still alive. Exhausted and bloodied but still alive. Alive and with company. She was not alone.  She was going to meet with everyone else again.

She had hope and now she had the SHSL Hope with her.

“…I don’t understand.” He muttered as he looked down on her broken form. His had had never left her hoodie so he was supporting her to keep her sitting up.

“Don’t understand… what?” She asked slowly, getting the words out in between her labored breaths.

“I don’t understand this at all.” He repeated and although his words were that of confusion, his face was still void of emotion. “Why did I save you? Why did I feel compelled to save you?”

“You don’t remember me… do you?” She paused and then shook her head. This time her voice came out more certain as she stared him in the eyes with determination. “No, that’s wrong. Maybe you do remember. Or at least some part of you does… I think.”

“How foolish.” He continued in his passive voice. “It’s impossible for me to remember anything from my former self. Everything was erased.”

“Nothing’s impossible.” She refuted and continued with unflinching resolve, “If it’s you, you can do anything.”

“Because I’m SHSL Hope?” He asked.

Nanami shook her head. “No, it has nothing to do with that.” And then the oddest smile touched her lips. It was reminiscent, bittersweet, and just a bit hopeful as she said, “There’s more to life than just talent.”

Kamukura didn’t understand why he felt a tug at his heart when she uttered those words.

“You can do it because you’re you. As long as you try and give it your best, you’ll surely be able to do anything.” She continued to convince him. “Like just now, you were able to remember me, right? That’s why you chose to save me.”

“…I don’t know.” And a sudden realization came upon Kamukura. He didn’t know. He didn’t understand this. For the first time ever since he existed,  he was truly at a lost.

Perhaps this was the unknown he was looking for.

“It’s okay if you don’t know the answers yet.” She said understandingly.  "We’ll have plenty of time to look for them later. I’ll be sure to help you along the way.“

“Even in this situation, you’re still trying to help others.”

That’s Nanami for you.

Kamukura didn’t know where the thought came from but it automatically finished his sentence before he had formed it. It was as if it was his thought but at the same time it wasn’t. It was more like a thought lying dormant inside him. A shard of his erased personality.

A remnant of his former self.

“You… cannot die.” He declared with an unreadable expression.

Nanami was an unknown he could not afford to lose just yet.

She gave him an exhausted yet genuine smile. “Don’t worry. I don’t plan to die here.”

She reached out again with her hand.

“We still have lots of games to play, right?” Despite her horrible state, it only made her hope shine brighter.

“Perhaps so…” He deadpanned as his other hand stretched.

And this time, the hand she had reached out with was answered by a warmth.

Nanami may have missed the GOAL but in doing so, she had unlocked another route. Now she had her Player Two to help her.


	9. Screensaver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AI IF: What IF they restored AI Chiaki's data?

"Ah... I lost again." Nanami said as she stared blankly at the Game Over flashed on her console's screen.

"Want to try a different game? We've been at this for a while now." Hinata suggested with a small smile since he already knew what she'd answer.

She lightly shook her head. "No, this is fine... I think."

"You have to sound more convincing than that." He teased her.

"Hmph! This is a classic! The best of it's era in its genre!" She said as she puffed her cheeks at him and then paused in the middle of her excitement as she thought out loud, "...Probably."

"Very convincing." He commented full of sarcasm and then chuckled.

"Well, let's just stick with this game for now." She said as she pulled the console closer to her chest and softly spoke, "I'm sure that if I try hard enough, I'll be able to do anything."

Anything's possible if you just give it a try.

Nanami smiled proudly as she declared and reached out a hand, "I'll definitely beat you one day, Hinata. I just know it."

Hinata's smile was just as affectionate as hers while his hand reached out for hers, "I believe in you, Nanami."

And in between their hands was a screen, though cold and hard, the warmth brought out by this small gesture of theirs prevailed.

"Hey! If you two have some time to actually try out a different game with the rest of us then we'll be waiting at the rec room!"

"Sure! We'll be right there!" Hinata yelled back and turned to his companion, his hand was still on the monitor. "Let's go?"

Nanami nodded as she placed her console away with her other hand. "Then I'll be heading down first... See you!"

She waved at him before the monitor blacked out.

And then the huge screen in the rec room lit up.

"Thanks for waiting, everyone. What game are we playing for today?" Nanami asked with her face practically beaming.

Technically they're in a different world. Technically they're different persons. Technically they're supposed to be dead. But despite all of these technicalities, they won't change the fact that Nanami's with them now in one way or another.

And this time, they'd definitely stay together. Because a screen is hardly a barrier for a bond as strong as theirs.


	10. Off-screen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robot IF: What IF they implanted AI Chiaki into a robot body?

Even though they had lost her in the past, there was no way they were going to give up on her in the future.

The last thing Nanami ever expected was crossing over to their world.

"Good morning, Nanami." Hinata's face was the first thing to ever greet her as she tested her sight. Either there was a problem with her vision or there were actual tears in his eyes. It's most likely the latter... probably. His voice trembled with emotions she couldn't quite place but she could tell that he was happy. Nervous too but ultimately happy. "How do you feel?"

Nanami considered the question and let it hang in the air for a while. It was like her program was lagging but not quite. It wasn't that her processors were slow or anything. On the contrary, she was made with only the best equipment out here. But for some reason, she thought that she felt just a bit overwhelmed. She's not exactly sure if she's actually experiencing the feeling or if it's just something in her code but she knows what caused it.

This was a whole new experience for her. She blinked slowly as she registered that sensation too. And then she experimentally lifted her arms and closed her hands. It was just strange for her to accept that they actually had weight now. She wasn't just 1s and 0s in a program. Now she was an actual and tangible being with a functioning body that's so well-made that it could be easily mistaken to be human. Her body was even designed to mimic the function of breathing as her chest rhythmitically rose and fell. How strange all of this was for her.

But when her eyes scanned the room and saw all of the expectant faces of her classmates, she knew right away that although this was strange, this also felt strangely right.

Nanami lifted her hand and placed it on top of her chest as she softly spoke, "I feel better now that I'm with everyone again."

The room practically errupted in cheers.

"Welcome back, Nanami!" Sonia cried as she wrapped her into a tight embrace. "Oh, how we missed you!"

"Hell yeah! Nanami's back!" Souda shouted with a grin and gave her a thumbs up. "If you think there's a problem with your electronics then you can always count on me for maintenance."

"If you need tips on how to adjust to your new body then maybe I can give you some helpful advice." Nidai offered with a roaring laugh. "After all, I went through that too! And let me tell you about its perks! Haha!"

"Nanami! It's okay if I just call you Nanami instead of Mecha-Nami? I want to call you Nanami." Akane said as she cried openly. "I can't believe that Nanami's back!"

"This is truly something worth celebrating!" Teruteru didn't even make a green comment because of how emotional he was too. "Once you get upgraded with tastebuds, I'll treat you to all the food you want to eat!"

"Should you desire the need for companionship, look no further." Gundam chuckled as he then proudly showcased his army. "For I and my Twelve Zodiac Generals are willing to fill in the void!"

"We didn't think we'd get to see you again! Ever!" Hiyoko sniffled and just cried harder as she hugged Nanami as well. "Don't ever leave us again, okay?"

"START L L R UP DOWN SELECT RIGHT RIGHT DOWN R" Ibuki shouted mechanically and with all of her energy. "That is Ibuki saying she missed Nanamemes in gaming language!"

"N-Nanami! I'm s-so sorry for everything!" Mikan wailed as she threw herself in. "B-But I'm also s-super happy that you're back!"

"We can finally have complete class pictures again." Koizumi said as she took another photo despite the tears in her eyes. "I'm going to take lots of your photos to make up for lost time!"

"Guys, give her some space to breath! She could barely move in there!" Kuzuryuu yelled over them, his face was suspiciously angled in such a way that his working eye was hidden. "Well, I can't blame them since we're still not over you, ya know?"

"You have always remained in our hearts." Pekoyama seconded with a small smile. "We're grateful that you are now able to remain in our lives as well."

"The class just wasn't the same without you." Twogami commented as he discreetly wiped off his tears. "The leader role suits you more than it did me."

"This is it! Look at how bright your hope is and how it's shining over the whole class!" Komaeda proclaimed with his widest and most heartfelt grin yet. "You and your hope has united everyone's hopes yet again! A truly stunning sight! How wonderful!"

Nanami couldn't even get a word out as she got bombarded with love and affection from every person in the class, no exception. There's this feeling of joy welling up inside of her and she wants to believe that this is more than just her programming. Everyone here accepted her and warmly welcomed her into this new world. This new world that functions just as differently as her body does. This new world that isn't just a program.

This new world where everyone is alive and together.

"Hey, Nanami. Remember this moment." Hinata started softly and he smiled at her encouragingly. "This is the miracle you created."

Nanami stared at the faces of all of her friends and noted just how full of hope they were in this new world.

"No, you've got that wrong." She shook her head and smiled ever so brightly. "This is the miracle we all created."

And as they celebrated her return, she knew that this was just the beginning of their future. The future they all worked hard together to achieve.

A future in which hope and despair are mixed together. A future wherein they are complete and together. A future that they could shape as their own however they want to.

A bright and shining future lay ahead of them.


	11. Two-Player Mode

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ultimate IF: What IF both real Nanami and AI Chiaki were alive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that feel when you can't decide which Nanami to live but you love them both so you try to save them both because they both deserve this and you're definitely not crying from the feels but also you're lying and you are crying
> 
> Just to lessen confusion, there's "real Nanami" and "AI Chiaki"

Nanami was having a battle against herself.

Literally. It's not as profound as it sounds like. She's just playing a game in versus mode with her AI counterpart. The score so far? A tie just like usual. Of course it would always be a tie. Apparently, beating your other-self like how it would play out in a game wasn't the same as how it would be in real life. But that didn't mean that they didn't stop trying.

"You're really good at this." The real Nanami praised. "It's been a while since I had a challenging opponent."

"Thanks... My father and big brother worked hard to get my skills programmed right." AI Chiaki said offhandedly with a yawn. "And of course... I have you to thank for this. My skills should be on par with yours... I think."

"You think so?" Real Nanami thought out loud. "I still think that there's a chance that you could do better than me. We just haven't found the right game yet."

"Well... you're better than me at dating sims." AI Chiaki quietly admitted.

"But those aren't for multiplayer!" Real Nanami objected with a huff.

"I guess not..." AI Chiaki yawned again.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence with only sounds of the game surrounding them.

"How's your writing going?" Real Nanami asked after a while.

"I'm doing better... probably." AI Chiaki answered not too confidently. "Well Usami says that I am. Want to see what I wrote?"

"I'd love to." Real Nanami said as she paused the game. AI Chiaki took out her notebook and showed her a page with words that almost looked like scribbles. And though childlike, they were readable and certainly better than the previous ones. "Usami was right. You're getting better everyday with practice!"

"I'm racking up as much EXP to LVL UP." AI Chiaki exclaimed with as much energy as she could.

"Good for you. I'm really proud of you!" Real Nanami commended her efforts with all her sincerity.

"Thank you..." AI Chiaki flushed in embarrassment and in a softer voice she added, "You're much nicer than I expected."

"Really?"

"Really." She nodded and then placed her hand over her chest. "I'm glad to have met you. After all, you had inspired everyone to create me."

"I'm glad to have met you too." Real Nanami mirrored her smile. "You're part of the miracle that everyone worked hard on."

Even as the two fought on in-game, in reality there was no conflict.

They co-existed in peace, in harmony, and in hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it. If there are any IFs I forgot to include then feel free to tell me. This has been a wonderful mini-project for me filled with hope and I hope that this has healed your hearts. Nanami deserved better and she will always be dear to me.


	12. In Another Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chisa and Chiaki and what happens after death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Never forget September 15**

If there’s life after death then…

Her eyes opened to a bright space. _Emptiness._ Where was she? She turned around and surveyed her surroundings. _Whiteness._ She even tried exploring the vast expanse to see some sort of sign as to where she was. But no matter where she looked or how far she walked, it was all the same. It was white and empty. _Blankness._ What was this place? Wasn’t she somewhere before this? _Loneliness._

As if to answer her question, her surroundings shifted as a memory was replayed before her. The memory of her death. That’s right. She was already dead.

She was dead because she killed herself.

Tears fell from Yukizome’s eyes. This wasn’t how she envisioned her end to be. She had always thought that she’d either die of old age or die while fighting the good fight. She never thought that she’d die by her own hands. She wasn’t even herself when she performed the act. This wasn’t even her first death.

In a sense, she had already long died in that room at Hope’s Peak Academy the moment she was brainwashed. She may have lived after but she was forever changed. She had changed drastically to the point of beyond recognition that it may be more accurate to say that she was a different person entirely and that the real Yukizome had died on that day.

But even so, this death still pained her. She wasn’t just upset about her life having ended in particular, she was more heartbroken over the lives she had ruined while she was brainwashed. She died before she could mourn all the deaths she caused. She died before she could even redeem herself. She died before she could atone for her sins. She died in despair. _Heaviness._

“I’m sorry…” She sobbed further as she burried her face in her hands in shame. “I’m so sorry…” The unbearable weight of guilt dragged her knees harshly to the ground. “I’m sorry.” She sobbed further as her body trembled with relentless regret. “I’m sorry!“ 

Yukizome apologized again. And again. And again and again.

 _Worthlessness._ She knew it was pointless. No one would hear her now and it’s not like she was asking for forgiveness either. Not even she would excuse her actions much less forgive herself. But the words just kept spilling from her mouth. It was as if she just learned to speak. Or rather, now that she has regained her freedom to be herself, she finally started talking like herself and so she spoke her most heartfelt words. _Weakness._

“I’m sorry.” These were the words she could only manage to speak even though there was so much more she wanted to say. She repeated them, each one harsher than the last, reprimanding herself with every apology. And she would have apologized for all eternity until…

“It’s okay.” The soothing voice of a girl called out to her. It was just so soft, so kind, so familiar, that it broke her out of her self-induced hate trance. _Whiteness._

Before Yukizome could turn around to check who it was, a pair of arms tenderly wrapped themselves around her shoulders and a comforting warmth was pressed against her back.

“It’s okay…” The girl repeated in a soft and gentle tone that Yukizome felt she didn’t deserve but was glad to hear all the same. “You’re okay.” She nuzzled affectionately which eased the abundant unrest in Yukizome. “I’m okay.” She tightened her and Yukizome’s body’s violent tremors began to calm down. “We’re okay…” _Kindness._

All at once, their surroundings melted into something softer, warmer, and kinder. Yukizome already knew who this kind girl was which was why she only cried harder when she turned around and returned the embrace with more endearment. When she felt the girl give her a reassuring squeeze, she only cried harder.

But there was something different about her sobs this time. They weren’t as painful or as heavy as before. They were different. They felt lighter or rather, she felt lighter. It was as if the unbearable weight of all the shame, the regrets, and the guilt have finally lifted. She felt as if it’s been a long time since she has breathed so easily. _Lightness._

“I’m so sorry, Nanami…” Yukizome hiccuped as her sobs gradually subsided. “Because of me, you went through something painful.” She clutched onto her tighter at the memory. “You… died so horribly, so unfairly, so… early.” She closed her eyes as she felt the tears come back with vengeance. She murmured softly, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Miss Yukizome.” Nanami said while rubbing her back in a comforting manner. “I know it wasn’t really your fault. But I also know that teacher is stubborn so you’d blame yourself for it.” She pulled back and made sure that they were staring eye to eye so that Yukizome would absorb her words more properly. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, teacher. You were doing your best all this time, weren’t you? I know you were. You fought hard. You did what you could at the time. I know you did. That’s why I’m still so proud of you.”

Yukizome just stared in awe and listened to all of the praise she was being showered in as tears fell from her eyes with each kind word.

“And I know it will take time for you to forgive yourself but I just want you to know that I don’t hate you. I still love you. I love you lots and lots! And I…” Nanami smiled tenderly right as she said her next words. “I forgive you.

 _Forgiveness._ “Nanami…” Yukizome started and just held her tighter in reaction. She held her with the intention of never letting go. “You really are too good for the world. Thank you.” She murmured softly and gave her another strong squeeze and shouted, “Oh how I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too, Miss Yukizome.” Nanami returned the hug with just as much fondness. They both needed this. Although they were separated from the rest, they felt at ease now that they had each other. _Wholeness._

“So what happens next?” Yukizome finally spoke after what seemed like the longest while but even then, she hadn’t let go of her.

“Whatever you want it to be.” Nanami answered cheerfully. “There’s much more freedom here. You can do almost whatever you want as long as you set your heart to it!”

“Hmm, that’s a lot to choose from then.” Yukizome pondered out loud. Honestly, there’s not much she wanted to do right now. She was already content with this reunion that it was hard for her to think about what to do after. So she asked for another’s opinion, “How about you, Nanami? What would you like to do?”

“Oh, um…” Nanami blushed at the unexpected question and then buried her face in Yukizome’s chest as she murmured timidly, “Can we… stay like this for a little while longer?”

Yukizome just smiled tenderly and patted her head. “Sure we can. We can stay as long as we want to. We have all the time in the world.” Even with her eyes closed, she could still envision it. _Brightness._

If there’s life after death then maybe, hopefully, they can spend the time that’s stopped for them there peacefully.

* * *

**BONUS:**

**Seeing Double**

One of the things Yukizome did not expect to see in the afterlife was two Nanami(s).

“By the way, I don’t think you’ve met before.” Nanami said with her doppelganger right beside her. “This is the Chiaki Nanami from the New World Program. She’s been keeping me company for a while now.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you… is what I’m supposed to say, probably.” The other Nanami bowed and spoke slowly, “I’m AI Chiaki… I guess. Nanami has told me lots about you.”

“I call her Aiki.” Nanami interjected with a small giggle.

“Ay-kee?” Yukizome asked with a confused look.

“It’s short fot AI Chiaki. It’s what you would call a nickname… I think.” The other Nanami clarified with a faint redness on her cheeks. It looked like she seemed fond of the pet name.

“I think it’s a cute nickname.” Yukizome smiled brightly at her and then held both of her hands. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you too! Let’s get to know more about each other, okay?”

“Yes, I’d love that!” The other Nanami’s smile was smaller but it was bright all the same. She turned to her double and excitedly said, “Nanami, she really is as nice as you said. Look, we’re already friends… maybe.”

“You’re definitely friends. I’m so happy to see you two get along.” Nanami confirmed for her with a proud grin. “Let’s all have fun here together!” She cheered and the other two shouted their agreement as well.

All sorts of things happened before they reached this point. They’ve been through a lot and a lot of those weren’t exactly good experiences to have. But that’s alright. They’re okay now. They’re in a place that’s safe from all that harm and pain. They’re in a better place. Somewhere. Nobody knows where. But it’s definitely out there.

And they’re there, safe and sound together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This series has been dedicated to Chiaki Nanami, bless her soul.


End file.
